Lap-machine for hat-manufacturers



y G. W'. ALEXANDER,...

LAP MACHINE PoR-HAT MANUPAGTURERS.

Patented July 17, 1883.

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i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. ALEXANDER', OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA.

LAP-MACHINE FOR HAT-MANUFACTURERS.

SPECIFICATIDN forming part of Letters Patent No. 281,226, dated July 17,1883.

Application filed February 23,1383.

.To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, GEORGE YV. ALEXAN- DER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at the city of Reading, count-y of Berks, and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Lap-Machinesfor Hat- Manufacturers, of which the following is a specication. l

This invention relates more particularly to the arrangement ofthecarriage-head, by which the Width of the Web is controlled and the feedtransmitted to the receiving-apron and Winding-rolls from a fixedrevolving shaft to the reciprocating carriage.

The object of the invention is to produce various Widths of lap-Web uponthe same carriage, and thus save the expense oi separate carriages foreach width of lap-Web it is desired to form. These results are attainedby the use of the improvements shown in the accompanying drawings, whichform part of this speciiication, similar parts being indicated bysimilar letters throughout.

Figure l represents aportion of the carriage end of a lap-machineexhibiting my improve ment thereto.V Fig. 2 is an end elevation of thecarriage, showing the adjustable head and gathering-roll; Fig. 3, anelevation of the adjustable head detached from the carriageframe.

A represents the discharging-apron of the machine; B B, aprondelivery-rolls; C, the receiving-apron of the carriage; D, fixedcarriego-heads; E, adjustable carriage-head; E, arm projected downwardfrom the carriage; E2, a thumb-SorenT with nut working in theframe-slot; F, the carriage-frame; SF', a slot for the adjustinghead-bolt; G, a horizontal feed driving-shaft, supported from thecarriage-sills, provided with a feather splinegroove of the maximumlength of the carriagetraverse; G', a Worm-wheel on the end of theshaft, driven by a Worm, H, on the shaft I, a 'feed-wheel, G2, fitted1with a sliding fit to the shaft Gr, and made to revolve by asplinecommon to the Wheel and groove of the same, and

, which, by contact with a suitable series of gearwheels connected Withthe Winding and apron rolls of the carriage, causes the same to operatewith due relation to the movement of the lap and web forming upon theapron C. The Worm H is driven by belt Q and pulley P- on (No model.)

l the shaft I, pulleys J J J2 J3, and belts K and L. The latter,provided with a pin Working in a slot of the arm R, causes the carriageF to traverse upon the Ways provided for the same. M is thecondensing-shaft Weighted by :the Weights N N.

The operation of the machinery and the part taken by my improvementtherein are as follows: The material is fed, as usual, by a front apronto the lap-machine, and is delivered at the rear by the rolls B B uponthe `apron A, which carries and delivers it upon the endless apron C ofthe reciprocating carriage F. The carriage is provided with stationaryheads D D for the gathering-rolls', having vertical slots, in which thecondensingshafts of the gathering-rolls are placed. Just @beneath theslot, and central thereto, are iixed Winding-rolls, upon which thegathering-rolls rest, and are put in motion thereby. These Winding-rolls have their shafts extending through the frame of the carriage,and are provided with gear-wheels thereon, which, by connection with agear-Wheel from the shaft G and by a series of intermediate gears withgears on the ends of the apron rollers, drive the same toward the hea-dsD D. The shaft G has its motion by gear G' and Worm H from the shaft Iand pulley P, the belt Q leading from the machine or a counter-shaft. Anintermediate pulley, J, by belt K drives a small counter-shaft by pulleyJ f, the opposite end of the shaft having a pulley, J2, in combinationwith an adjustable pulley, J, connected by an endless belt, L, havingsecured thereto a pin, L', which, Working in a slot in the arm R,carries the carriage back and forth upon the rollers and Ways providedfor the same. The pulleyJ3 being adjustable horizontally, if the belts Lare lengthened or shortened, and the pulley J3 adjusted thereto, thereeiprocations ofthe carriage are correspondingly altered. As thecarriage reciproeates beneath the apron A, the lap delivered from themachine is laid layer upon layer thereon, the feed of the apron C beingso adjusted relative to the delivery that a certain desired thickness ofweb shall be attained before it is Wound upon the gathering-rolls. Atthe same time the Width is goyerned by the space between the heads D D,which serves to condense the Web endwise;

but should the traverse of the carriage be TOO less than the spacebetween the heads D D, then there would be no end condensation, and theweb would be ragged on its edges. This up to the time of my improvementnecessitated a separate carriage for each width of web vto bemanufactured. To obviate this I introduce the adjustable head E, whichis provided with a vertical slot for the condensingshaft, and is inevery respect similar to the fixed heads D D, except that it slides uponthe frame, and is secured thereto at any de-r sired point by the arm Eand screw El. This improvement enables the hat-manufacturer to form aweb from the maximum width for which the carriage of the machine wasdesigned down to the narrowest width desired for boys goods.

The shaft M lies within the slots of the heads D E D, and the web isseized as it is pressed forward by the apron C, wrapped around theshaft, and dropped upon the Winding-rolls, usually placed in suchmachines beneath the slot. As the roll of web increases in diameter, theshaft M rises in the slots, and the weights N N, being graduated in sizeaccord.- ing to their distance from the' ends of the webroll, condensethe same transversely and uniformly. The worm-gear makes a direct andpositivetransmission of motion to the carriageapron and thewinding-rolls, dispensing with belts or racks, as used generally uponlap-maehines.

l 'make no claim to the mode-of rcciprocating the carriage, n or to theEgeneral arrangement of the machinery connected with a lapmachine and itscarriage, my improvement being con'ned to the introduction of theadjustable head E for the purpose of controlling the width of the webformed upon the gathering-roll of a lap-machine for hatting purposes.

Having shown my improvement and described its operation, I desire tosecure by Letters Patent the following claims thereon:

l. In a lap-machine for hat-manufacturers, the addition to the carriageof the same of an intermediate adjustable head, E, provided with arm Eand screw E2, in combination with the carriage F, apron O, and its usualactuating gear, whereby the width of the web is controlled by endcondensation irrespective of 5o the traverse of the carriage,substantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of an adjustable head,

E, as described,\vith the usual heads, D D, and

the actuating and reciprocating machinery of the carriage and apron of alap-machine for hatting purposes, whereby an adjustment of the head E inconcert therewith will square up the width "of the web formed upon theapron, in the manner described, and for the purpose set forth.

GEORGE W. ALEXANDER.

Witnesses:

A. B. WANNER, H. A. ZIEBER.

